EDUC 251 - Teaching in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Classrooms

1. The students’ own stereotypes, biases, and cultural socialization and their impact on student learning
2. The examination of the concept of culture: moving away from “trait-based” notions of culture towards a more dynamic view that foregrounds complexity and multivocality
3. The impact of multiple forms of exclusion and discrimination, including but not limited to racism, sexism, and classism, and how they play out in society and within interactions and expectations of others
4. English second language acquisition and learning, to include an examination of bilingual and ESL educational models
5. The interplay of the aforementioned dimensions of the social (individual, cultural, linguistic, institutional & historical) in educational settings.

Included in these discussions and critical analysis will be how society and our own interactions marginalizes and oppresses certain groups, especially looking at the GLBTQ (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, transgender, questioning) populations and people from low socioeconomic communities. A field study is required in a bilingual or multilingual schooling context to complement and enhance conceptual understanding.

This course is aligned with the vision, mission, and goals of the School of Education. The constructive nature of this course facilitates inquiry, reflection, and critical thinking. Candidates develop an awareness of their own stereotypes and biases, cultural identity processes, second language acquisition, and what it is like to be a child from the non-dominant culture in U.S. classrooms, and how to support ALL students in their classrooms.